Applying for permanent residency

If you have resided in Luxembourg for an uninterrupted period of five years, EU citizens (or nationals from a country treated as such) and members of their family who are also EU nationals can apply for a permanent residence permit (carte de séjour) to the Immigration Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

Third-country nationals who are a family member of an EU citizen (spouse, registered partner, ascendent or descendent) also have the right, under certain conditions, to permanent residence. 

All other third-country nationals (including UK nationals who have arrived since 1 January 2021) can apply for a residence permit lasting 1 year initially (renewable for 3 years thereafter), providing they have entered the country with an authorisation to stay and a visa/work permit. The process is different to the one outlined below, but you can find more details on Guichet here. 

UK nationals that were resident in Luxembourg before the 30 December 2020, can still apply for a residency permit and biometric card until 30 June 2023. 

Before you apply:

You must be able to prove that you have been lawfully resident for an uninterrupted period of at least five years in Luxembourg. This DOES NOT include:

• Temporary absences that do not exceed six months per year
• Longer absences to complete military service
• Uninterrupted absences for up to 12 consecutive months because of pregnancy and childbirth, a serious illness, studies or professional training, or a work posting

Are you entitled to apply earlier?

You may be granted permanent residency before five years if:

• You were working or self-employed and you have reached the age of retirement (or taken early retirement) and you were working in another EU member state for the past 12 months and have been living in Luxembourg for an uninterrupted period of more than three years.
• Workers or self-employed people who stop working due to permanent incapacity to work and have been living in Luxembourg for an uninterrupted period of more than two years.
• Workers or self-employed people who receive an accident pension from the Luxembourg state because of permanent incapacity to work due to a work-related accident or illness (no duration requirements).
• Workers or self-employed people who, after three years of uninterrupted activity and residence in Luxembourg change for a salaried or self-employed cross-border job with another EU member state but are still resident in Luxembourg or return to Luxembourg at least once a week.

How to apply

You will need a copy of your passport or ID – if it’s not in German, French or English, you will need to attach an official translation by a sworn translator. 

Download and fill in the form at the end of the web page, and take it with your ID copy to your commune where staff can make the application for you and confirm you have been a resident for more than five consecutive years.

You will receive your permanent residence permit by post within one month of submitting your application.

The permit has unlimited validity so long as you are not absent from Luxembourg for more than two consecutive years.

If you are a third-country national who is a family member of an EU national you will need a copy of your passport in its entirety (so every page) and a photograph to OACI/ICAO standards. The application form is different (find it here), and you can get more information on the application process and exceptions (for example in the event of the death of a spouse), here. If a permit is given, it will be valid for up to 10 years. 

UK nationals who have a diplomatic card (carte diplomatique) or a legitimation card (carte de légitimation) or another residence document issued for members of the resident diplomatic and consular corps or for EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, and international organisations with their headquarters based in Luxembourg, do not need to apply for a residence permit. 

UK nationals who have a permanent residency biometric card (those who were resident in Luxembourg before 31 December 2020), should check if the validity of their card is for 5 or 10 years and apply for a renewal to the Immigration Directorate. 

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